Food-hopper.



F. N. KOHNEN.

FOOD HOPPER.

APPLICATioN fxLEo 0m28.191s.

l .269,513 y Patented Dec. 26, 191.6.

2 SHEETSSHEET 1.

31u/vento?,

F. N. KOHNEN.

FOOD HOPPER.

APPLICATION msn ocT.28,1913.

FRANK'LYN N. KOIINEN, OF BLASDELL, NEW YORK.

'.FOOD-HOPPER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Deo. 26, i916.

Application led October 28, 1913. Serial No. 797,889.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, FRANKLYN N. Korr- NnN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Blasdell, in the county of Erie, State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Food-Hoppers; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to'malre and use the same.

This invention relates to' new and useful improvements in feed troughs having automatically operated means associated therewith for covering the same.

The object of the present invention resides in the provision of a feed trough for chickens or other fowls which is provided with means normally covering the trough and actuated upon the approach of a fowl to the trough, to an uncovering position, the invention specifically residing in the provision of such a structure which cannot be operated by small birds and which is provided with means whereby such animals as rodents are prevented from reaching the food.

A further object of the invention resides in the provision of a compact structure including the above troughs and hoppers associated therewith and means whereby the food is at all times visible to the fowl so that he is naturally attracted to the trough.

l/Vith these and other objects in view, the invention resides in the novel combination, formation and arrangement of parts to' be more fully hereinafter described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings and particularly pointed out in the claims hereto appended.

Reference is had to the accompanying drawings wherein similar characters of reference designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, and inwhich:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of the improved hopper, Fig. 2 is a top plan view thereof with the cover removed and a portion of the hopper structure broken away, Fig. 3 is a central vertical sectional view, Fig. et is a sectional view on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1, Fig. 5 is a sectional view on the line 5-5 of Fig. 1, Fig. 6 is a detail sectional view showing the means for supporting the screen holding strip.

Referring now more particularly to the accompanying drawings, the structure is shown as comprising two end walls 5, which are preferably formed of galvanized iron or other suitable sheet metal and which have their lower end portions laterally directed to form foot flanges 6. rEhe sides of the top portion are cut away to seat the angular roof 7 and are provided with lateral flanges S through which are passed bolts 9 engaging the roof to form a securing means therefor.

Secured to the wall members 5 by lateral flanges 10 at the sides thereof is a central partition ywall 11 which extends from the roof downwardly substantially two-thirds of the height of the side members. Secured also to the wall members at each side of the central partition wall are plates 12 converging toward and spaced from the partition wall'at its lower end. These plates are secured to the walls by the lateral anges 13 and the plates are provided at their top edge portions with lateral iianges 14 forming a support and a securing means for the roof."

Thus it is seen that there are provided two hoppers.

A.' trough is provided for each hopper comprising a sheet of material 15, having at one side a lateral fiange 16 bolted to the lower end of the partition wall and extending downwardly and outwardly with its ends secured similarly to the walls 5. rlhe free side of the sheet of material 15 is directed upwardly to form the outer side 17 of the hopper and this side 17 has its ends directed laterally atk 1S and secured to the sides 5 by bolts 19 which in addition to this normal function serve also a function hereinafter brought out.

To provide a support for the outer portion of the hopper and also to close the sides of the structure, plates 20 are secured to the troughs and to the side members and extend to the ground, terminating in foot flanges 21. The cover for eachhopper comprises a plate 22 secured to the lower portion of each hopper plate 12 and extending outwardly in parallel relation to the bottom of the adjacent trough and terminating in a downward extension 28. Movable covers 2e are hinged at 25 to the free sides of the plates 22.

rlhe means for swinging one of the covers open when a fowl approaches the adjacent trough comprising a lever 26 pivoted intermediate of its ends to each side member and connected to the adjacent end of the cover by a link 27 pivotally secured to an ear 28 on the cover. A movable platform 29 is provided and has bolted to each endthereof a vertical link 8O lpivotallysecured ,to the platform and links a suitable stop member "31 is :provided comprising a striplfo'f metal bolted to each side.l member and hav*- ing one end inwardly bent to Vengage the side of .the linln The platform is held against inward swinging movement by engagement Withthe plate 20 and thus is permitted Vonly a. substantially vertical movement.

l/Vhen iafoW/l steps'- on the=platfor1n,y it ac'- tuatesthe flevers toraise the lgcover. It Yis ntedthat Vthe ,platform is sulicient distance belowthe mouthloff 'the feed trough toallo'W only lthe Vfovvls. of vsuflicient siiefto reach'the same When standingron thepl'at'form.- The under face offthe pivotedcover 24is pro# vided with Weights 32 to., assist theacover24 in lassuming-a c1osedposition when theY fovvl steps olf of the platform.

Y Tofprevent animals, such as rodents, (fromv reaching Vthe food, :a strip .of screen Innaterial33 isprovided for each trough. To'hld this -In'aterialfin place y.over thetrough the lower: endaoffthe. hopper side-'12 is extended belovv the plate 2Q and y,provided withan outward :flange 34 .seating one Vside .of the screen strip andthe other side of the screenv v stripis bolted uto onersideportionof an' angular :.strip.i 35 which Ais held adjacent the upper portion vof the outer side`1'7fof the hopper bythe insertionof its .other .side between-.the said sidell and theboltsllQ afore-y described. vThe :screenf material is` of such mesh-thatthe fovvls canreadily'peek there; through. Y

.Eachrhopper plate .i12 isfprovided with@ rectangular,opening 36 overfwhich: is placed apiece of glass. 37 held in place bythe-strips 38having-their Iouter'portions offset and bolted at 39'to the said plates. Thusa'fowl Will see .the food 'through the Window thus frinedand willv b'efattra'cted tward the device and Will step -onthe platform. :The coverthen rises vand' the-fvvl notices the foodv in'r the trough. p

Food is placed in the hopp'ers'through rectangular openings 40 in the roof. These openingsare normallyrclosed by covers 41 Yhaving-their sides bent in substantially U- shaped cross section .and ..slidably engaging similar portions' 42 'o'f`track plates 43 secured VY-at the sides of the openings. Weather strip 44 is bolted at the top portion `of:each:"opening and has an outwardly joifset ,portion adapted yto be disposed over the cover" 41' Wh'e1r`it is :covering the opening, a spring finger 45 being secured on the cover and engaging thev offset portion formed lby the Weatherl'strip tovholdithe cover in saidv positionl A suitableknob or other 'handle member :46E-s' secured to' each cover to facili! tate"A movingthe same;

r`Fortransportingthe structnre,`handles 47 aresecuredto each o'fltheside's 5.y Q

From the (foregoing it 7.isV seen ,that 'a' very simple'and "eliicient 'structure has y'been pro'- vided.' y

`Itis notedthat there is no chan'ce forlan'y tilting mvementbfthe;tiltng'pltrrmrto ABythe provision ofthe twohppers",V tvvf'oY different kinds of l'fo'lod may be fed "to" the fovvls.`

`What isfclaimed is A' feed'ng *device comprising a'rof and side Wallsjarcentral' partition Wall V secured theret and terminating 'short of 3the b'o't'- toins thereof, *al hopper Wallfon feahside' of the f'ce'rtral ep"arti'ton Wall' convergin'gftoward and terminating; short pf the .lower edge thereof, outivvardlyi andfdoyvnvvardly extendngjpltes'secured tcthelwer edge of the centrlpartition 1 landJ t0 the isi'leyvtalls andfhavingjtheir outer sides Viyipvvv'ardly dir'ejte'dj to frrn' troughs, 'hinged covers 'fier each' ofi'saidtrouglsgfY screens arranged'bver each trough be'll-athVn` the pover; "supporting plates 'arranged beneaththe' outeredge'sbf the troughs, bodlyldepressible"platforms ar-l fFRnNKnYNeN; Kennen z.

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